Yeah, I actually had a good laugh at that one...because I picked up weightlifting the first few weeks of college and reached one of my personal bests for fitness during my freshman year. Everyone else was putting on the Freshman 15; I lost 20.

Muscle Dysmorphia or "Bigorexia" is currently the male version of killing yourself to gain society's fickle approval of your appearance. It's when a guy looks in the mirror and sees skinny, no matter what his reality is. Below is a brief documentary on it but be warned: there are some spectacularly gross images, including icky medical stuff. On the humorous side, there's a few quotes from a young Schwarzenegger, doing nothing to improve his image as an oft-times crass bastard.

Expanded interview from same doc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0EdA4AC ... re=related Looking closely at this guy's face and body language when he agonizes emotionally over his shape, he mirrors perfectly the pain of the women in the "America the Beautiful" documentary. Same blank expression, same eyes without light, same downcast gaze, same shame. To me, this guy is handsome, solid, has a nice wide back, and a fantastic smile for the millisecond that he actually flashes it. He could walk into any room in this appearance obsessed country and hold his own. It's an eye-opener to hear a man talk so candidly and intimately about disappointed body image. His "No Brain, No Gain" T-shirt is spectacularly brilliant apparel for a bodybuilding gym, though. I want one!

FYI: There are several researchers out there for BBC and National Geographic who are currently soliciting interviews from men and women who have Muscle Dysmorphia and would be willing to share their story for a documentary. A brief search of "muscle dysmorphia documentary" will pull them up or go to bodybuilding.com, ironmagazine.com, etc. and find their posts in the forums.

Muscle Dysmorphia or "Bigorexia" is currently the male version of killing yourself to gain society's fickle approval of your appearance. It's when a guy looks in the mirror and sees skinny, no matter what his reality is.

Interesting. When I was into the bodybuilding side of weight lifting in college I didn't care as much about size as some guys who seemed to be on a religious mission about it. I never had trouble with being too thin in my life, so I couldn't relate to their head trip. I trained because it felt good.

I have the perfect test to determine whether or not a specific exercise regimen is right for you: Would you keep doing it even if you were told it would not alter your physical appearance in any way? Does it feel so good that you'd do it just to do it? Then, banzai!

MTV True Life "I'm on Steroids" follows three men who enter the world of steroids for a magazine cover in modeling, a mixed martial arts fighting match, and a strip contest at a club. Two win, one loses.

I have the perfect test to determine whether or not a specific exercise regimen is right for you: Would you keep doing it even if you were told it would not alter your physical appearance in any way? Does it feel so good that you'd do it just to do it? Then, banzai!

I was never on an exercise regime I didn't enjoy ( aside from physical therapy exercises ). I've only stopped some exercise regimes, because they didn't like ME ( injuries/joint issues ) or lack of time. Yoga and weights were the big culprits there, both addictive and I could easily spend 2 hours a day on either.

A genius, low-key documentary movie on plastic surgery and injectables filmed and directed by the daughter of a plastic surgeon. She keeps the camera rolling for those candid moments before and after the actual interviews and so the subjects reveal funny, gross, and shocking details about their worlds. Warning: potentially disturbing footage of surgeries, procedures, and some of the results of the Vietnam war. http://www.hulu.com/watch/214664/make-m ... defined-i0 (Turn off your Adblocker to view Hulu.)

Thanks for posting! Just checked out this trailer. Documentaries are my favorite type of film to watch.

You're welcome and I agree: docs are my fav, too. They're addictive, I can't get enough of them. They're like travelogues for the mind. I hope other members post even more so that we have a sort of library of information on the topic for people to inspect.

This was awesome, beforewisdom, thanks! I've always been intrigued by giants and acromegaly--did a lot of research on Andre Roussimoff (Andre the Giant, Fezzik), Ted Cassidy (Lurch, Ruk), etc.--and even have a giant as one of the lead characters in my novel. The unique perspective on the world that these people offer is priceless. There are two young guys working at my New Seasons store who are over 6'8". One's bodily proportions is meso-ectomorph, so he looks normal-sized until you approach him, the other is clearly ecto, the stork look. He's a sweetheart and told me he has a kind of Doorway Yoga he does where he just automatically dips downward in a smooth motion through every door regardless of its size, to preserve his noggin. Airline travel must suck chunks for him but he's a fast bicyclist!

Here's an interesting one, especially for a bodybuilding forum. Two different men who's muscles have called a revolt against them. One man's muscles don't listen to his commands, the other one's muscles shrink until they disappear. Watch these two stories with a keen eye and an open heart and I guarantee you that, from now on, every day in the gym will seem like paradise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXOTb4Zx ... re=related

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